The Journalist
by BCDW
Summary: Piper Halliwell is a successful crime journalist who gets herself in deep trouble when she writes a story on the FBI that some don't appreciate. Leo Wyatt is an FBI agent who may have to cooperate with the Piper in order to bring on justice. PL story, non
1. Monday Buzz at the Office

**Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters that I borrow from that show. **

**Summary: _Piper Halliwell_ is a successful crime journalist who gets herself into a lot more trouble then she anticipated when she takes on to write a story on AD George Marshall, a powerful man in the FBI who is being accused of a major crime. _Leo Wyatt_ is an FBI agent working for Marshall, who comes to the young journalist to protect his boss. The two unlikely characters might have to come together and cooperate to bring on justice. **

**This is a Non-Magical story, like most of mine, but it has some elements from the show. Like Piper's sisters, who will play a role in this fiction. **

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**AN: Ok, so those of you who have read my stories, I know you are VERY angry at me right now, because I haven't updated two of my fictions in about 5 months, and I know you hate me for that. I stopped because I went to a month long vacation, and then when I came back I just didn't take the time to update, and now I'm just not sure what to do with them. I promise to try and finish both Bound by Law and Life is Inescapable. **

**But I just had this idea for this story, and I couldn't help myself. I hope you read it and like it… **

**Enjoy guys. **

**_Chapter I_**

**Monday Buzz at the Office. **

She was late, again.

It has been raining for several days in a row, and the driveway was flooded. She pulled on the gate, over and over. On the fifth time if finally swung open.

"Shit."

Her shoes were wet, and she was hardly even out of the house.

She got in her car and turned the music on. Nothing good. It was already 8:30 am, and her article was due last night. She's agreed to cover the FBI story, but it turned out to be a lot more time consuming then she had anticipated.

Piper Halliwell was a crime reporter, a journalist working for the SF Daily Reporter magazine. She's been working there for over 5 years, and the busy live of infinite deadlines suited her.

As she stood in the traffic downtown, she looked down at her grey knee length skirt and examined the spot where she poured coffee over herself that morning.

On the radio, some Portuguese guy was mumbling music. Piper switched it to some news.

"The FBI reports that they will cooperate, but they ensure the public that AD Marshall is an innocent man. CIA is leading an investigation, but they haven't reported any conclusions so far. A court date for George Marshall will be decided on sometime next week…"

Piper already knew all this. She also knew that the FBI was keeping some secrets that didn't belong to them. The public had a right to know that AD George Marshall was a criminal.

Piper wasn't one of those journalists who play it safe. She put her nose where it didn't belong, and she dug out information. She had good contacts too. Her sisters always said that she was taking her work too seriously. "You're making it too personal", Prue always said. Piper didn't care. It's the way she liked it.

The traffic had finally eased up when her cell rang.

"Yeah?" She answered. She had a pretty good idea who was calling her.

"Halliwell! I swear on my wife's skinny ass, if you're not here in five minutes, I will fire you and make damn sure no one ever hires you again!" That was the boss, Robert Owls. His English accent spit in her ear right through the phone.

"Breath Owls, I'm on my way. Give me 10 minutes."

"This article was due yesterday! It's no fucking good for us now!"

"I'll edit it." Piper said. She's had this conversation a million times before.

"You don't have time; you were supposed to start on tomorrow's story at 7:30 this morning! Where in hell are you?"

"I'm late, Owls, but I'm on my way, I swear. And don't worry about tomorrow's story; I'm almost done with it."

"No you're not." Robert's voice changed course, he sounded skeptical. Piper smiled.

"Oh yes I am. I already sent the first part to Charlotte, you can go ask her."

"No you didn't." Piper's smile grew wider. She adored this man. He's been her boss for the whole time she worked for The SF Reporter, and it was rare that a day went by that he didn't threaten to fire her.

"I did, Owls, and I'll have John edit this story. So stop worrying so much…" Piper was mocking him.

There was a silence.

"I love you Piper. I'll die of a heart attack in 10 years because of you, but I-"

"Love me, I know. I love you too Owls, stop freaking out. I've got it all under control." She hung up.

* * *

She was at the office in 7 minutes time. The guard opened the doors to the building for her. 

"Thanks, Benny." She flashed a quick smile, and walked briskly inside. She closed her umbrella and shook it, getting glanced from a few of the people who walked around her, but she continued forward. She took the elevator to the 8th floor. As soon as the doors opened and she took a step out, about 5 people jumped on her, papers seemed to fly everywhere.

Monday morning buzz. The usual.

"Piper, I don't understand what do you want me to do with all these papers, I need clear directions, I can't work like this!" John was the loudest of all, so he was the one to get her attention first.

"Forget that John, I need you to edit tomorrow's story for me, the one about Marshall's court date. Have it on Owls' desk by noon." She said, taking her coat off, still marching towards her office.

"Ms. Halliwell, I couldn't get the CIA guy on the phone, they won't take any questions." That was Marry.

"That's alright, we got time. Try again tomorrow." Piper said, and stopped by the coffee machine to make herself some.

With a coffee full mug, Piper walked across to her secretary's desk.

"Any massages for me Bridget?" She asked.

"Morning Ms. Halliwell. I have a few yes. The guy who tried to jump off a building agreed to be interviewed-"

"Cancel him, we don't have time anymore. I gotta put all efforts on the FBI." Piper cut off.

"Alright, it's done. Mr. Owls came by twice looking for you." Bridget continued.

"That's already taken care of. Anything else?"

"Yes, your sister called."

"Which one?"

"Phoebe. She asked to call back."

"I'll do that. I need around an hour to finish this article, so try to keep the phone calls to a minimal."

"Will do, Ms. Halliwell. But there was another massage for you. An FBI agent came by, wanted to talk."

That caught Piper's attention. "FBI wanted to talk to me? I'm the one that's usually chasing them, not the other way around. Anyone I know?"

"Special Agent Wyatt."

"Don't ring any bells."

"I think he is one of AD Marshall's people."

Piper's eyes widened. "Marshall's people? Well that's a surprise. Those people despise me for the story I wrote on him last weeks." She reasoned.

"He asked to call. Would you like me to set a meeting?"

"Sure. Anytime after 12. And before 6, I have to be at Prue's for dinner, it's my niece's birthday."

"It's done."

"Good." Piper said, and walked into her office, closing the door behind her.

She took a gulp of her coffee, and picked up her phone.

"Hello?" Phoebe's voice answered.

"Hey sis." Piper said while opening her laptop.

"Piper! How are you? Listen, can you buy some wine for tonight?"

"Phoebes, work is crazy, I was planning to go to Prue's place straight from the office."

"Oh come on, I promised Prue we'd help with everything, and you know how she wants this dinner to be perfect…" Phoebe pleaded.

"I know, I know, but I really won't have time…"

"What else is new? Look, your niece is turning four; everything has to be great tonight!"

"You just love making me feel guilty don't you…"

"Just get some wine, any kind will work. Not to talk about how you should be the one cooking, not me. But I guess you prefer to poison everyone…" Cooking was not Phoebe's thing. It was Piper's. But Piper never had time anymore.

"Alright, alright, I'll bring the wine. Anything else?"

"A man, maybe?" Phoebe tried.

"Don't even go there."

"Why not? You haven't had any real relationships in 4 years."

"Phoebes, really, no time for this conversation again. I have a million deadlines to miss. I'll see you guys tonight."

"I can't wait. Love you."

"You too."

**

* * *

**

The article was done in just over an hour.

"Bridget, give this to Owls, and tell him it's ready to fly."

"Done."

"Good. Do you have anything for me?"

"Yes. I talked to the FBI agent. He'll be here at noon."

"Great. Make sure he feels welcome, I want to get him to answer some questions and I need him in a good mood for that."

An hour later, at noon exactly, someone knocked on her office door.

Piper smoothed out her jacket, ran her fingers through her hair and crossed her legs.

"Come in!"

"Ms. Halliwell, Agent Wyatt is here."

"Let him in."

He was medium height, dark blond hair, broad cheekbones, and a confident walk. Good looking. She could tell by his well-fitted black suit that he wasn't just a rookie. His tie was expensive too.

Piper got up to shake his hand, and he flashed her a smile. Nice teeth. Strong shake. Not bad.

"Ms. Halliwell, nice to meet."

"My pleasure, Agent Wyatt."

She gestured him to take a seat across the table, and he did.

"Coffee?" She offered.

"No thanks, I don't drink."

Piper glanced at her three empty mugs of coffee on the table, then looked back up. He looked around 30, maybe just a bit older then herself.

"So, Agent Wyatt,-"

"Please, call me Leo."

Piper smiled. This was going to be fun.

**AN: Well… there you have it. This chapter was pretty much just to introduce you to who Piper is, and a little of Leo. There is a lot more going on then it seems, and I think it can be very interesting. I have pretty good plans for this story, and I hope you guys are planning to stick around. **

**Please leave me a review and let me know if I've got something her and if I should continue. Thanks! **


	2. Just a Ride

**AN: Thanks so much for all your wonderful reviews guys!**

**I want to apologize for not continuing my other two stories… some of you guys complained in your reviews. It's just been so long, and I guess I need to familiarize myself with them some more. I tried to write some chapters, but it's just not coming out right. And I don't want to post some crappy stuff. Also, I'm sorry for not doing a Lustville sequel like I promised that I would…. Lost my inspiration. I still might do it sometime.**

**Now, let me clarify a few things, just in case;**

_**Marshall is an FBI Agent who is accused for a crime (you guys still don't know what it is), and he has a pretty high position and a lot of power. **_

_**Leo is an agent who works for him.**_

_**And Piper is a journalist (thus the name of the fiction). **_

**If anything else is confusing, just let me know. **

**Enjoy! **

**_Chapter II_**

**Just a Ride  
**

Leo couldn't help but smile.

He's heard of Halliwell before, she was one nosy journalist. She wrote some story around a year ago that put a very big man in the economy world in jail, and he belonged there. But this time she was trying to bust Marshall, and this was exactly what he was sent there to stop.

"Look, Mr.-… Leo. This is not arguable. Do you realize you're asking me to drop the biggest story we've got? You're not giving me anything. Besides, every single newspaper out there is writing about AD Marshall, and 'The Reporter' will defiantly not the only one that has nothing on it." Piper Halliwell was saying.

It was a treat watching her. Her eyes were focused right on him the whole time she spoke, and she reached out for her coffee twice to take a gulp, but never once did she look away.

After a short silence, she spoke again;

"Look, do you even have a point by coming here?"

That was a good question. Leo was sent by his administrators. Their directions were not clearly defined though; they simply instructed him to follow Piper Halliwell, and not to let her write a story on Marshall that would risk his chances. Leo knew how important of a man Marshall was for the FBI, so the reason for the assignment was simple.

But pursuing it was the difficult part.

How was he supposed to stop a reporter from writing a story? It went against everything the country of the United States believed in. It went against the very fundamental right of freedom of speech.

AD George Marshall talked to Leo himself. He told him to do everything he could to find stuff on her. 'She has to be stopped', he said.

Leo didn't like the sound of that. That was not the way his job was usually done. The FBI was against criminals, not reporters who posed a threat to the Bureau.

"Yes, I do have a point actually. I would like you to… reconsider. That's all I ask. I'm sure that if you dig deeper into this, you'll find yourself that writing an article that might risk AD Marshall's reputation is a grave mistake. This man is a man of honor, not crime."

Piper's face looked almost mocking now. Leo had to admit, his little speech did sound rather patriotic towards the FBI.

"Leo, we've been at this for an hour now… you need to understand this; I am a reporter, it's my job to write stories. And neither the FBI, nor even the government, can stop me from doing that. If Marshall is clean, then public awareness is not something he should be afraid of."

Leo had to admit, she was right.

Then her cell phone rang.

"Excuse me." She said, and then spoke into the phone. "Hello?"

She listened for a moment, then looked at her watch.

"Damn. I didn't notice the time. Prue, I'm sorry, I might be a little late tonight. I have an important meeting."

Leo smiled. He liked the sound of that.

"No, I know, I know, Prue I'm really sorry, but I just got caught up in this and didn't even notice the time… Ok… yeah, I know… of course I'll be there… right away, I'll leave in a moment… yes, I didn't forget the wine… I'll see you soon. You too. Bye."

She closed her phone and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry about that… where were we?"

"Sounds like you're in a hurry?" He asked instead.

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Don't worry; we can continue this another time."

"Does that mean I'll be seeing you again? I thought I made it clear that I can't negotiate on this. I'm doing this story."

"You were very clear, but I'm afraid that won't be satisfactory with my bosses."

"Well then. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. For now, at least." She smiled.

"Yes. For now."

"It was nice meeting you Leo." She got up to shake his hand, and he did the same.

"Believe me, it was my pleasure."

* * *

"I'll see you tomorrow Bridget." Piper said, closing the door to her office and walking out.

"Goodnight Ms. Halliwell." Bridget smiled, and Piper walked off.

The FBI Agent, Leo Wyatt, left just fine minutes before her.

She was already late to Prue's, and she still had to stop by the store to get the wine she promised Phoebe to get.

Piper took the elevator to the parking lot, and hurried across to her car. She threw her case to the back seat and got in. From the corner of her eye she caught Leo, getting into his own car. He saw her too and waved. She waved back shortly, and put the key into the engine.

It wouldn't start.

The car growled, but the engine wouldn't start.

Piper tried over and over, but it was to no use. She hit the wheel with her hands in frustration.

"Need any help?"

Wyatt's voice asked. She turned to look at him.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to make a car start magically, would you?" She asked sarcastically. He smiled.

"I can give it a try…"

Instead, she tried again. But as before, it was useless.

"Damn it." She said. She would ask Phoebe for a ride, but she was probably already at Prue's.

"Need a ride?" Leo asked, leaning against the car next to hers. Now that they were out of her office, she had to admit that he was a very good looking man. The kind she preferred to stay away from, just in case.

But on the other hand, she did need a ride, badly.

"You have time?" She asked.

"That's right." He flashed yet another smile.

She frowned. How did she get herself in these situations? She got out of her car, locked it, and followed him to his.

While he was driving out of the parkway she called about her car, and as soon as she closed her cell he spoke.

"Where to?"

"I need to stop by a store, if you don't mine. Promised to get wine."

"Going on a date?" He asked. She looked at him.

"No."

"Out with the husband?" He tried again. She smiled.

"Do I look like I'm married?"

"No. You don't look like you are. If I read you right, you're too busy and not interested."

"Then you read me right. How about you. Not afraid to come home too late to the wife?"

"What wife?" He chuckled. She knew he wasn't married, she could tell the minute he came into her office.

"How about a girlfriend?"

"Haven't seen her in a few months." He said. She smiled to that too. At least he had a sense of humor.

After a five minute stop to get the wine, he took her to Prue's. This wasn't something she'd normally do. She preferred not to get personal with people she's writing about. It was her job to find out as much as she could about them, not the other way around.

When they arrived to the old Victorian house where Prue lived, the same one where the sisters were raised in, both Piper and Leo got out.

"Thanks a lot for that. I owe you."

"I'll remember that. Enjoy your dinner."

And then there was a short awkwardness, which was ended by a brief handshake, after which Piper waved shortly and walked up the stairs.

She turned to see Leo's car drive away before she knocked on the door.

The door was opened almost instantly. It was Prue, looking very cute in a light knee-length pink dress. She had a big smile across her face. Piper smiled back. It was always so nice to see family.

"Hey sis." Piper said, and the two shared a hug.

Prue's daughter, Melissa, joined them quickly. "Aunt Piper!" She ran right into Piper who scooped her up and gave her a squeeze.

"Happy birthday Melie… God, you've only been four for one day and you're already so big and heavy…" She teased.

"What did you get me?" The girl asked, giggling.

"Melissa!" Prue exclaimed, laughing.

"That's alright… Can't blame a girl." Piper put her down, and gave her the present she had with her.

Melissa opened it to find a necklace. It had "_Melissa"_ On it, and the girls eyes widened with joy.

"Daddy! Look what Aunt Piper got me!" She ran off to her dad, Andy.

Piper took off her jacket and put her case away, and walked with Prue to the living room.

Andy got up from the couch to give her a hug, and so did Cole. That was when Phoebe joined them from the kitchen.

She hugged Piper tightly. When she let go, she said;

"God Piper, you always look so formal."

Piper looked down at her clothes. She did look formal.

"Well, you know me… I had no time to stop by my place."

"Speaking of which…" Prue interrupted, "Who's the chunk of fineness that brought you here?"

"What!" Phoebe exclaimed.

It took a moment for Piper to figure out who they were talking about. "Oh please, Prue…"

"Hey, we want to know too." Andy pointed out, smiling.

"My car gave up on me. He's just a guy I met today, an FBI agent. Nothing exciting."

"Anything to do with the whole Marshall fiasco?" Cole asked.

"Yes, he works for him. He was just kind enough to give me a ride." Piper explained. "Prue, any chance I can change into something of yours?"

"Of course, come one." Prue said, and they headed up the stairs.

"Don't think you're off the hook missy!" Phoebe hollered after them.

Piper put on a nice shirt and some jeans, and was ready to head downstairs when Prue stopped her.

"Wait, I wanted to talk to you, for just a moment." She said.

"Sure. Everything ok?"

"Yeah, it's nothing like that. I just feel we never get to talk anymore, just you and me. You're never available… I don't know what's going on in your life." Prue seemed concerned. Piper wished she wasn't.

"You know me Prue… There is not much going on at all. Just work I guess… the usual."

"I'm worried about you Piper… you're working so much, all the time. You never give yourself a break…. It's not healthy. You always look so tired." Prue said.

Piper felt guilty. She really wasn't tired, or anything like that. She liked her life the way it was. The crazy working hours was a lifestyle that she was used to.

"Prue, I really wish you wouldn't worry about me… you know I've always been like this."

"That's not true… you weren't always like this. You used to be free on the weekends. We'd even see you during the week a lot. Now we're lucky to get to see you two or three times a month. And you live only 15 minutes away."

Piper felt bad. It was right. She lived only 15 minutes away, yet she almost never saw her family. She hated conversation like this.

"Mommy! Daddy's hungry!" Melissa's voice came from downstairs. Saved by the niece.

"Well, come on. Phoebe made some interesting food… I actually think she might have done a good job this time. Let's go pretend we love it." Prue smiled, and they headed downstairs.

Piper smiled, but as soon as Prue turned around the smile was gone. Even though she hated to admit it to herself, Piper knew that every word that Prue said was right on the point.

**AN: Ok… so you got to know the sisters this chapter, and a little more of piper and Leo. Remember… everyone has a past……………**

**Please review and tell me what you think. **


	3. Dinner With the Family

**AN: Thanks again for everyone who reviewed… I hope you guys continue to do so! Enjoy this chapter…**

**_Chapter III_**

**Dinner With the Family**

Leo watched her climb up the stairs. When she turned to look back at the car, he started the engine and drove away.

He thought about how coincidental it was that her car broke down, right on the day he was there to offer her help. He knew well that it was no coincidence at all. It was everything but.

He parked in the FBI building parking lot and took the elevator to the seventh floor. There, he marched towards Agent Ochsner's office. He flung the door open without knocking, and sure enough, Ochsner was in his seat behind his table.

"Wyatt, what is the meaning of this?" He asked, surprised.

"Sir, with all due respect, I must request that I am informed of every detail of an investigation that I am assigned on to," Leo said, trying not to raise his voice and stay as polite as possible.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Piper Halliwell. Now sir, I don't like when things are being done behind my back…"

It took him a moment, but fast enough Ochsner realized what Leo was talking about.

"Look, Leo, it's just precautions… I'm sure you understand."

"As a matter of fact- I don't. And since when is messing with a subject's car part of the protocol?"

"Leo, the protocol is bull. Look, I've been here longer then you. Trust me, this is only to assist you."

"I don't recall asking for any help. You yourself assigned me to this, so please, let me carry out my investigation without any 'help from above'."

Agent Ochsner paused to think it out. Finally, he spoke;

"Very well. Please, accept my apologies."

Leo nodded. He started heading for the door when Ochsner continued.

"However, I would like to remind you one last time how important this is. Marshall has enough to deal with. A reporter on our back is the last thing he… the last thing the FBI needs right now. You won't disappoint us, will you?"

"I don't plan to sir." Leo said and walked out.

As he was heading to the elevator, he had a moment of hesitation.

He didn't like the smell of it all. He didn't like how it was all being approached… It was by no means alright to act as they did that day. Leo almost wished he wasn't involved in it.

Although he was absolutely convinced that Marshall was as clean as it gets, he was still hesitant. Brushing it off, Leo decided not to think of it that day.

He drove to his apartment where he opened the door only to be greeted by Chester, his black Labrador. He gave him a pet, and headed straight for the sofa.

He loosened his belt and closed his eyes.

Piper Halliwell appeared. She was a magnificent woman, he thought. A little too bossy for his taste, but all the same, she was undoubtedly extraordinary. She sure knew how to tell off a guy.

* * *

"More wine?" Andy asked. 

"Yes please." Piper smiled as her glass was filled.

Phoebe was laughing at a story Prue told, but Piper missed half of it. Nevertheless, she was smiling. She'd forgotten how much she loved spending time with her sisters.

When the laughing quieted down, Cole got up.

"Guys, I'd like a moment please."

They all looked at him, and he smiled. Phoebe looked pretty happy too, and she got up and stood next to him.

"We wanted to use this moment that we're all together to tell you guys some great news we've got." Phoebe said. She was beaming.

"As of a week ago… Cole and I are engaged!"

"Oh my god! And you've kept it a secret for that long!" Prue exclaimed as she got up to hug her sister.

Andy shook Cole's hand and congratulated him. Piper got up to hug her sister as well.

"Congrats sis." She whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.

After dinner, Prue put Melissa down to sleep, and the men stepped outside to leave the three sisters together in the living room.

"We're so excited… and I thought he'd never ask." Phoebe was saying.

"Of course he would… it was just a matter of time." Prue said.

"As if he could get away from you…" Piper added.

They laughed.

"So… what's new Piper? You haven't talked much during dinner." Phoebe changed the subject.

"Are you gonna bug me about the agent again… because if you are, then-"

"No, really, I swear I'm not. Just asking about my sister, is that so wrong?" Phoebe asked.

"No." Piper stuck her tongue out.

"Good. So tell us, what's new in the life of Piper?"

"Well… you know. Same old I guess. Nothing exciting like getting engaged." Piper smirked. "I'm working on a story about this Marshall ordeal… and it seems like the FBI doesn't want me to publish it."

"Can they stop you?" Prue asked.

"No, they can't. But they can try. That's what the guy from earlier was about." Piper explained.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you. Christmas is two weeks away… you promised you were going to take some time off and we'd all go on a vacation for a few days." Phoebe said.

Piper looked at her, and apologizing smile on her face. She couldn't go. She didn't even know why did she give any hope that she would from the first place.

"Don't tell us you can't do it…" Phoebe started.

"Look, you know I'd love to… but it's just impossible right now. There is so much work to be done…"

"Piper, you are killing yourself with all this work!" Phoebe suddenly exclaimed. It looked like she was holding it back for so long, that now finally she just blew up. "It's been work work work for over 4 years now! You've been working crazy hours and you just won't give it a rest-"

"Phoebe…." Prue tried, tugging on Phoebe's shirt.

"And you look more and more tired every time we see you! I mean, just look at you! You look like you haven't slept in weeks!"

Piper was taken aback. There weren't many times that she'd seen her sister raging like that. Especially after the way she was so happy just earlier.

"Phoebe… I-" she didn't have anything to say.

"Phoebe that's enough." Prue got up and stared at Phoebe.

There was a piercing silence for a few moments, until finally Phoebe turned back to Piper.

"I'm sorry Piper… I didn't mean to be like that…" She looked like she meant it. Although Piper knew that is was forced.

The night was over shortly after that. Cole and Phoebe gave Piper a ride home, and conversation was at a minimum between the sisters.

Piper took the elevator to the 12th floor where her apartment was, and stuck the key into the lock. For moments she stood there just looking down at her hand and the key, and the lock.

How empty it all seemed.

Leaving the key as it was, Piper turned around and lowered herself to the floor, leaning against her door.

Everything was so empty. There was nothing to look forward to. Her apartment was big and empty. Just like everything else that surrounded her. But she chose this life for herself. After Danny, everything has been the same.

She rarely let her thoughts drift back to Danny. It was another lifetime, it seemed. It didn't even hurt anymore. It was just a past that she acknowledged and dealt with. It's been almost four years since they split.

Piper closed her eyes. It was so easy to remember. Being so happy. They were trying to get pregnant. She was excited to have kids. She didn't expect anything but a 'happy ever after'. It never came. She'd always remember the day when everything changed. It was in the dark, all faded out and rusted, that memory. But she still remembered well.

She never understood why it all happened. She was so happy, she never though that he wasn't satisfied. That day that she walked out of the taxi, she was heading to a store to get some wine. She was out of work early, and she was in a good mood, and she wanted to treat her husband that night.

It was just a glimpse of an eye. She thought she saw him, but knew it was impossible. So she looked again. And there he was, her dear husband Danny, in a park. He was holding a child in his arms, maybe two years of age, no older then that. He was laughing, and talking to a woman. She was pretty. A pretty Latina woman. She was smiling too.

Piper stared, probably for ten minutes. But it seemed like a lifetime to her. She stood there until suddenly he caught her eye. He stared for a while. The woman with him was starting at her too. He told her something, and gave the child to her.

Danny walked to Piper, and by the time he came face to face with her she had tears in her eyes. Everything was in slow motion for her, or at least the way she remembered it. He didn't say anything, and that's when Piper knew.

"Is he your son?" She asked him in a whisper.

He just kept still, and nothing came out of his mouth.

Piper grabbed his shirt in her two fists, and yelled; "IS HE YOUR SON!"

She saw the tears in his eyes. Finally, he gave a slight nod.

Piper let go of his shirt. She felt so weak, so dumbfounded. It was like someone hit her in the head hard.

"W… why?" She mouthed. She looked at the Latina woman beyond Danny, who was holding her son in her arms. She was staring right at them.

"I'm so sorry Piper." He said.

She left him after that. He didn't object. She knew that if it wasn't her leaving, it would have been him. Pain was better then humiliation.

He never did explain to her. Never told her why. She hasn't seen him since.

Piper opened her eyes. She fell asleep.

She got up and twisted the key that was already in the lock.

She had two massages on her machine. One was from her boss, Owls, saying that she better not be late tomorrow or she would be fired. And the other one was from the FBI agent, Leo Wyatt.

"Evening, it's agent Wyatt speaking. Just wanted to let you know, you left your bag in my car. So while returning it, I would like to meet with you again, about your story on Marshall. I know you are not interested, but I just wanted to have one more conversation. Maybe we can work it out so we both come out winners. I guess I'll call your secretary to schedule something; I just wanted to make sure you are fine with this. Well, anyways… Have a good night."

Piper erased the massages and with her eyes half closed she walked to her bedroom, kicking her shoes on the way. She was asleep as soon as she hit the pillow.

**AN: Review please! I really want to know what your guys' opinions are...**


	4. It's a Date

**AN: Hello people! Thanks for all the reviews, and sorry it took me so long to update. This chapter is pretty informative, and gives a lot of hints to the main storylines. I have great plans for this fiction, and I think you guys will like it! Don't forget to let me know what you thought of this chapter. **

**Thanks, and enjoy. **

**_Chapter IV_**

**It's a Date**

Piper was at work early that day. She finished a small article she was working on to get all things out of the way for some important time that she needed to devote to the Marshall case.

At 10:45 am, Owls marched into her office.

Piper looked up from her computer and smiled.

"What the fuck are you smiling about?" He raged. Piper was just too used to it. "If you don't have that article, I swear on my hairy ass that I will-"

"I have it!" Piper waved a CD in front of his face and his eyes widened.

The irony was, that he looked just like an owl when he was angry.

"You're done?" He asked, snatching the disk from her hand.

She smiled again and nodded.

"Bloody hell Halliwell, I am in love with you." He kissed her smack on the lips and stormed out.

This was no unusual behavior. Piper didn't mind his ways, because he was in his mid fifties and happily married. And with the way he was stressing out so much, even more so then her; he didn't have a lot of years left. Heart attack would surely get to him before old age.

Piper smiled at that, and then got back to her work and the small investigation she was leading on Marshall for her story, which with no doubt she knew would make front page.

She laid out pieces of information that she was able to gather, one way or another. She knew well that the information before her was never meant to get outside the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but she was able to get a hold of it.

She knew this much: AD George Marshall was one of the only man who knew about a code held secretly by the FBI, and he knew all the rest of the people who possessed the code as well. The "code" was simply an excess to a great deal of money and weapons, one which was many years ago locked by the FBI and announced as a possession of the US government, locked away until a time of need. None of this money or weapons has been taken out since.

Until about a month ago. Everything was gone overnight. It was a very carefully planned operation, one which would take months of preparations to execute. It inquired four things: an intellectual to come up with the plan, a familiarity with the ways of the FBI, an access to the code, and a lot of people. Marshall had the first three, and Piper was sure that he had no problem with finding people, weather it was from inside the FBI or not.

There something else too. Something that Piper came across that provided many answers, but raised even more questions.

She was now familiar with the term "the Alliance of Seven." From what she had learned, these were seven men who are all on the top ten wanted list of the FBI. They were men all over the world, powerful names, who have great amounts of money and power that didn't belong to them and dealt weapons on the black market. And that was exactly what was stolen, weapons. Piper wasn't sure if the FBI was considering this alliance as suspects, but she surely was.

What if Marshall had something to do with this alliance of seven?

She knew that she couldn't write this in her story until she had more proof. For one thing, no one outside of the FBI was supposed to know anything about the Alliance, so they would be on her back. And what more, she didn't want this so called "Alliance" to be after her. From what she could find on this alliance, as little as it was, she still knew it was the last thing anyone would want to deal with.

Piper leaned back in her seat and put her right hand palm over her eyes. It was more complicated then she had anticipated.

For a moment she considered what the FBI agent, Leo Wyatt, would do if he knew she had all this information at hand. She doubted there were a lot of people out of the FBI who had their hands on this. But she had some connections that came handy at times.

"Ms. Halliwell?" Bridget's voice filled her office.

Piper removed her hand and looked towards the door where her secretary was standing.

"Yes Bridget?" Piper asked, pulling her fingers through her hair to remove it from her eyes.

"Agent Wyatt is on the phone for you."

Piper nodded and picked up the phone. Bridget walked out and closed the door behind her.

"Good afternoon." Piper spoke into the phone.

"Very good indeed." Wyatt's voice came. He always sounded in a good mood. She needed some of that.

"And let me guess… you want to talk to me about the story I'm writing?"

"You know it. I was wondering if we could meet again."

"You are incredibly stubborn. Do you really have hope that I'll tell you that I'm not writing my story?"

"No." He said honestly. "But I was just wondering if you'd let me see it before you publish it. Even now… Just show me what you've got."

"Agent Wyatt, I'd be showing my cards to the enemy." Piper said.

"The FBI is not an enemy. And please, again, call me Leo"

"Alright, Leo. Look, here is an idea. I can't share with you what I already have, but you can give me more. Then you'd know what I have. I'd like to interview you, since like you said you practically work for Marshall. Or even better, I'd like to interview someone even closer to the man." She suggested.

Piper could tell by the short silence that he was considering this.

"Alright. Ok, we can organize that. You can ask me all you want, but I don't promise to answer. And I doubt I can get my boss to answer anything, he hates reporters."

"Who doesn't?"

* * *

Leo smiled at her comment. She was right, reporters were not very well appreciated, especially not around the FBI. He, though, was quite fond of this particular reporter.

"It's a deal then." He finally said.

"Good. How about tomorrow morning? I know a nice café a few blocks from here." She said.

"Of course."

"Come by around ten."

"Ten it is."

"Good." She said, sounding satisfied.

"Good." He said, mimicking her contentment.

Leo was still smiling when he put his phone down.

* * *

"Ms. Halliwell, Agent Wyatt is here." Bridget said, peaking her head into Piper's office.

She looked down at her watch. It was 9:55.

Piper nodded, and seconds later Leo Wyatt walked in. He looked as good or even better then the first time she'd met him.

They walked the few blocks to the café where he ordered tea and she had some black coffee.

The interview proved to be pretty useless, but Piper didn't expect it to be otherwise. Neither of them really got what they wanted. She didn't learn any new information, so it was no benefit to her other then being able to quote him on some things. The thing was, he too knew that she'd learned nothing new, nothing that he didn't know she already knew, otherwise he wouldn't have told her.

So after half an hour they were done with the questions and short answers.

Piper put her pen down and stopped her writing where she was recording details of his answers, and leaned back in her seat.

"Well." She said, slipping from her coffee.

"Well." He concluded.

"We're not really going anywhere with this are we?" She asked the obvious.

"No, not really." He smiled. She thought he'd be a little upset by now, but he was perfectly peachy.

"Can I ask one last question? Off the record." She added.

"You can ask. I'll see if I have an answer."

"Good enough. I was just wondering… why me?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, putting his tea down.

"Of all the reporters. This story is going to come out, you know. Every newspaper in the country will be writing about Marshall, one thing or the other. At least before his hearing. So why me? Unless the FBI has an agent following every crime reporter in the country."

This question seemed to make him think. He wasn't ready for it.

"No, you're right. They've sent especially for you." He seemed to be talking more to himself then to her now. Finally, he looked up.

"You don't know why, do you? They didn't tell you." She said.

He remained quiet.

"Of all the journalists, they see me as a threat?"

He still said nothing.

"That's alright, I know you can't speak about it." She finally concluded, drinking more of her coffee.

She looked out of the window. It had started to rain. When she looked back at Agent Wyatt she found him staring at her. She became self conscious and ran her hand through her hair.

"We should probably get going, before it gets any worse." He said, pointing to the rainy outdoors.

"Good idea."

Neither of them had an umbrella, so they ran the two blocks back to the building with their cases above their heads. By the time they had a cover, they were both panting. They stood there for about a minute, staring into the rain which was only getting stronger and stronger. There were people running each to their way just like they did a minute before.

Leo was the first one to speak.

"What are you doing tonight?"

Piper turned to look at him, checking if he really asked what she'd heard. He smiled.

"Tonight? Why? Are you really still hoping to get anything else out of me, because-"

"No," He cut her before she continued. "No, I don't hope to do that. I do, however, hope you'd agree to go out for dinner with me tonight, Piper." He said. It was the first time he was addressing her with her first name.

She couldn't help but smile.

"Are you asking me out on a date, Agent Wyatt?"

"And why is that so surprising? We've established that we're both unmarried and very much single. I'd be crazy to pass an opportunity like this."

Piper laughed. They were both wet and dump, and she knew she looked like hell. What was sure was that this wetness didn't take away from his good looks, which she had to admit he possessed.

"So what do you think? Will you go on a date with a scum FBI Agent?" He asked. His smile was wider then ever.

She hadn't gone on many dates in the past while, but she'd go with a guy occasionally. It was usually a one night thing.

"Alright." She finally said.

"Good. Then it's a date?"

"It's a date. I have to get back to work now. Call me?"

"Yeah, I'll call in a couple of hours. See you tonight." And with these last words, he walked off, waving her way once before getting into his car and driving away.

**AN: Review please!**


	5. Hidden Camera and a Date

**AN: Thanks again for all of your guys' wonderful reviews! They just keep coming which is really great. I enjoy every one of them. **

**I also really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you guys like it. A lot of PL activity going on, and a few other unexpected surprises… R&R!**

**_Chapter V_**

**Hidden Camera and a Date**

It was seven thirty and Piper was finishing a small article she was writing for tomorrow's paper. It took her longer then she had anticipated, because her mind was all on the Marshall story. It was becoming an obsession for her.

Agent Wyatt told her he'd pick her up from work at 8:30, and she was already running late. She finally closed her laptop and leaned back in her seat. Looking at the window, she noted that the rain hasn't stopped since that morning.

Piper looked down at her dump looking outfit and wished she had had something better to wear. But her apartment was twenty minutes from work and she'd never make it there and back in time. She considered her options, and finally decided to go for the last resort.

She hadn't spoken to Phoebe since the night before when they had their little row, and she decided that now was the best time to call and make up, and also to ask for a little favor.

"Hello?" Her sister's voice came through.

"Hey Phoebes, it's me."

"Oh, hi Piper." She didn't sound mad. That was a good sign.

"So…. I just wanted to call so we don't stay grumpy at each other for too long. I feel bad for last night."

"Piper… I should be the one apologizing, really, I went totally out of line. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." Phoebe said.

"You never say something you don't mean Phoebe, I know you too well for that excuse. And it's alright, I can agree to disagree."

"Fine by me. We will have to talk about it again though…."

"Yes, yes, I know Phoebes. But not now, I'm actually in a hurry."

"What else is new…" Phoebe started.

"I need a favor."

"What kind of a favor?"

"Well, your guys' apartment is only 10 minutes from here and I need something to wear."

"Something to wear? Like, 'I spilled coffee on myself and I need a shirt' kinda situation?"

"No…" Piper said, smiling, "Like, 'I have a date in an hour and I need a dress' kinda situation."

"No… it can't be… you have a date?" Phoebe exclaimed, sounding excited for the first time.

"Yes… and I don't want to hear your squealing, so either you bring me the dress or you don't. what's it gonna be?"

"I'm on my way!"

Twenty minutes after that Phoebe came with a couple of dresses and Piper chose a knee-length black one that tied around her neck. While she was applying her makeup, Phoebe was shooting questions at her.

"How long has it been since you've been on a date? Like… eight months?" Phoebe asked.

"No, I went out with that guy a few weeks ago, remember? The one I met at the dinner at your house. Cole's friend."

"Oh yeah? And what's his name?"

Piper was about to say David, but then she realized that David was another guy she met around two months ago. She honestly couldn't remember this guy's name.

"See!" Phoebe exclaimed after a few moments. "You don't even remember his name! That's not a date, that's just plain old sex! I mean a REAL date… one that you dress up for and don't drink five glasses of wine before. And his name was Rudy."

"What kinda name is that?" Piper asked, ignoring her sister's speech, and Phoebe gave up.

At 8:30 exactly, Leo knocked on her office door.

* * *

He took her to a restaurant not far from her office, but she's never been there before. The food was good. After an hour into their date, they found that they had quite a few interests in common, mostly political, and were engaged in conversation. Finally, as their wines were being filled up again, they started on a more personal topic.

"I was born in New York to two lawyers." Leo was saying. She's gotten used to referring to him with his first name, even though 'Agent Wyatt' still fitted him better.

"They divorced when I was eight, and I moved to San Francisco with my mom. They both remarried over the years, my dad twice and my mom three times. They were keeping busy…" Leo chuckled at that, and Piper joined him.

"Well then, with lawyers as parents, how did you end up as a Fibbie?" Piper mocked him.

"I was actually going to law school for two years before I decided to change directions. It wasn't hard to change directions from that point, and three years later I was hired at the FBI. And became a 'Fibbie'." He smiled and sipped from his wine.

"And did you take on your parents habits?"

"You mean marriage? Nah. I had two long lasting relationships, but neither worked out. I guess I'm not the marrying type."

Piper decided not to comment on that, but put it aside to think about later on.

"So how about you? I don't imagine you were ever married, right?"

Piper smiled, a bittersweet smile. He judged her wrong. "I was married actually. Once."

He seemed a bit surprised, but didn't show it. "And what happened?"

"It didn't work out."

"You probably flicked him out huh? You're the kind." He said, only joking, but Piper didn't manage a laugh. She just smiled.

"Yeah, I flicked him." She concluded. She didn't like to talk about her marriage much, for obvious reasons.

"And how about siblings?" He asked.

"I have two sisters. One is happily married with a kid, the other is engaged. Just announced it yesterday actually."

"Oh yeah? Well, congratulations."

The night went on nicely. At 10 they left the restaurant and went for a walk. She liked him. He was that "Smart and Funny" kind. Not the usual type she'd go out with, but it didn't bother her. She was having a good time, and they hardly spent any time talking about their professional life.

"By the way, have I told you?" He started, "I was told to drop your case. You can write what you want. You're a free bird Piper, we've given up on trying to stop you."

"Well, it wasn't like you had me exactly bound… You were loosing before you even started." They laughed and kept on walking.

It was a cool evening, the smell of rain was still very much present, but the clouds had scattered away and left room for the moon to shine and reflect from the wet leaves of the trees.

They were walking hand by hand now; Piper didn't even notice when did that happen, but she enjoyed it. At one point she looked up at him and realized he was starting down at her.

They stopped walking and he bent down to kiss her, and she returned the kiss. It was sweet and satisfying; slow but not boring. Just enough to taste him. She liked it.

They drove home in silence, until they'd reached her building.

"I had a great time." He broke the silence.

"Me too."

"I very much enjoyed kissing you." A smile started forming on his lips.

"I did too."

"I'd like to do that again." He continued.

"Surely not tonight though…" She was mocking him.

"No, Surely not tonight." He replied, mimicking her tone, leaning forward and engaging in another kiss, this one longer and even more fulfilling.

Only this time, after it was over, she felt she wanted more. She leaned back in her seat and spoke.

"Here is my dilemma: I'd invite you in, but my place is a mess. Now, we can call it a night, or-"

He continued her sentence.

"Or, I can invite you to my place. How does this sound: Piper, would you like to accompany me to my home for some coffee tonight?"

"Oh, I don't know… let me think about it." She was mocking him again.

"Wait, let me rephrase that: Piper, would you like to accompany me to my home for some sex tonight?"

She smiled. "That's much better. Yes please, I'd love that."

* * *

They were kissing again even before he'd unlocked his door. They made their way to the couch, not even bothering to go for the bedroom, and clothes were off in a matter of seconds.

As he was freeing her of her bra, Piper decided that she was happy she agreed to this. No commitment, no 'second and third' date… just plain old sex.

* * *

Leo woke up in a bundle of blankets. They had fallen asleep sometime at 3 am and it was now 8:20 in the morning. He felt around for Piper, but she wasn't next to him. He decided he'd get up and look for her.

But first, he laid there for a minute, recalling last night's events. It was bloody amazing. She was extraordinary, and it wasn't just the sex. Although that too was a big part of it. Wanting to kiss her again, Leo got up in search for her.

He quickly noticed that none of her clothes were around; not thrown on the floor where they were left the night before. That was when he noticed the small note she left on the counter;

_Leo,_

_Have to go to work. Thanks for last night. _

_P._

Leo stared at it for a moment. He counted the words. There were only ten. Who leaves a ten word note after sex like that?

He decided he'd wait for her to call before he called her. He had full intentions of going out with her again. He only hoped that those were her intentions too, because after a note like that he had his rights to have some doubts.

He was glad that the FBI had gotten off her case. He still didn't like the way they had sabotaged her car, but at least now he didn't have to worry about trying to get information from her.

It's been a while since he'd enjoyed his time with a woman like that. She was different… not fragile and lighthearted like other women he dated were. She didn't try to satisfy him, she was fulfilling her own needs, and he liked that. Finally he went out with someone with personality.

* * *

A few miles away from Leo Wyatt's apartment, in the top floor of the FBI building, sat Agent Oliver Ocshner with the camera men he had hired to follow Agent Wyatt and Piper Halliwell.

He was flipping through the photographs that were provided to him, while Rook, the photographer, was talking.

"They were defiantly on a date, Ollie. See this picture? Nice kiss eh? I took that one especially for you, Ollie, I know you like to look at those. From what I could hear in the microphones I installed in Wyatt's apartment, they were fucking for at least two hours. Sorry, Ollie, no pictures. Maybe next time."

"We predicted this might happen. I'll report this to Marshall, see if he'd like to do anything about it." Ocshner said. "You did a good job Rooky boy."

"I don't think Wyatt will agree to cooperate." Rook said.

"No, most likely that he won't. But we have big suspicions that Halliwell has some information that doesn't belong to her, and if it comes out to the public then it's game over. Marshall will be busted. If the government won't get him then the Alliance will. You know how strict they are. They will assassinate all of us without thinking twice. I want you to keep following these two love birds. If you can, wire her office. Her apartment as well. I want you guys on this thing 24/7."

"Sure boss. But Ollie, what the hell are we waiting for? Why don't we just… Eliminate her? She's just a lousy reporter, it's not like the Alliance hasn't done this before." Rook proposed.

"No, Rooky, we can't do that. It will look bad for the FBI if that reporter suddenly disappears. Everyone knows she's doing that story on Marshall. No, we can't just eliminate her. We gotta do this more carefully. And if it does come down to that, then we'd all have to leave the FBI, including Marshall. And the big boys in the Alliance won't like that."

"I understand, Ollie. I understand."

"Keep me updated."

"As always, Ollie." Rook said, and left the room.

Agent Ocshner leaned back in his chair and rubbed his bold head. He was too old for this kind of work. And agent Wyatt was one of his best men, he didn't want to loose that agent.

But in the way things were heading, it looked like agent Wyatt's career at the FBI will only go downhill from now on.

**AN: Ok, so I know that a bunch of you are probably confused by what just happened... it's pretty complicated. So you can ask questions if you want, I'll explain. **

**And by the way, Agent Oliver Ocshner is the same agent who Leo talked to before, his boss. **

**Well, don't forget to review! **


	6. Elimination

**AN: I know a lot of you guys hate me… I haven't updated in sooo long. I didn't mean to, but I was just really stuck. I knew what I wanted to write, but it just wasn't coming out the way I wanted. Now I finally sat down and it just all poured out perfectly. I actually enjoyed writing this a lot. So I hope you enjoy this chapter… it's pretty eventful. Have fun! (and thanks to those who bugged me to update!)**

**_Chapter VI_**

**Elimination**

"Miss Halliwell?"

Piper looked up. It was Bridget with some papers in her hand.

"I made two copies of everything as you requested. Couldn't find that article on Marshall from 1992 that you asked for."

"That's alright. Thanks Bridget."

Piper took the papers and spread them out on her desk. It was just a mess of data on the period Marshall has been with the FBI. Public record, articles, surveys… all kinds of things. 1992 was important to her because that was the year when he was put on trial for not passing on information. The first time they caught him at wrong. She had a feeling that particular article wouldn't show up.

She has spent the whole day thinking and considering options of all sorts, but with every new question she asked she only got more lost. One step further and two steps back. What she needed is more knowledge. She needed hard facts. Especially on this 'Alliance of Seven'. Unfortunately, there was no information on that at hand. Only in the offices of the FBI, and those weren't at access to her.

Suddenly feeling a wave of tiredness, Piper looked at the time. It was past 3 pm, and she still hasn't had any lunch. Her thoughts drifted back to this morning. The sex was great. And so was the date itself.

But Piper had decided; it was just a one-night thing. She just wasn't interested in any relationships right now. She liked being single and never depend on anyone else. No one to judge her or tell her she's doing something wrong. No expectations from herself, or anyone else.

She decided she'd call Leo one more time, just a general thank-you, but she will decline if he'd invite her on another date.

"Hello?" his voice on the other line jolted her memories back to that morning.

"Leo, hey."

"Piper… thought you'd never call." She could hear him relax his voice from his Agent-Mode.

"Sorry about that." She was suddenly out of words. What is there to say? I like you, last night was great… Have a great life. "Thanks for last night."

"No, thank you. It was very pleasant."

"Yes, yes. Well… anyway, sorry to disturb you. Just wanted to call since I never said a proper goodbye."

"You're right, you didn't. How about you make it up to me at dinner tonight?" He asked, cheerful.

"Tonight…. You know, I don't know if that will work for me very well. I have things tomorrow morning." She lied.

"Tomorrow is Saturday."

"I know. I'm busy."

"Alright," he gave in, "How about tomorrow dinner? Or lunch? Whatever works for you."

"Mmmm… you know, I have a lot to do… I'm behind on many things at work. Got to catch up."

"Anytime next week then?"

She remained silent.

"I see." He finally said. "Just like that? Alright. I can take it as a man. Just tell me where did I do wrong?"

"Leo, you didn't do anything wrong… I'm just not interested in anything right now."

"Good, neither am I. It's just another dinner, Piper."

"I know. I'm sorry."

There was that pose again.

"Alright." He exhaled, defeated. "Well you know where to find me if you change your mind."

"Thank you. I better go. Thanks again for yesterday… bye." And she hung up.

* * *

Downtown, and the FBI building, AD George Marshall was sitting in his oversized office on the top floor, looking down at the busy street below.

He has always been a confidant man. He was born to lead, and to be feared by the lesser. He knew his place in society, and he knew well what he had at stake.

If he took one step wrong, the Alliance of Seven won't think twice and they'll have them assassinated in 24 hours.

There was a knock on the door, and Agent Oliver Ochsner came in. He was dew for a report.

"What have you got for me Ollie?" Marshall asked, never looking away from the window.

"Bad news." Ochsner said, uneasy.

"You see, this is why I don't like you, Ollie. You never bring me good news."

"It's my job, sir."

"Right you are. Now, tell me, is there any progress?" Marshall finally turned to look at him.

"I talked with our man inside the Office. The big boys in New York are not happy. Not happy at all."

"Those motherfuckes are never happy. I talked to Karenov last night. They don't tell me everything Ollie. He said that if anything goes wrong, they'll take me into hiding and no one will ever hear of me again. He said I'm safe. But I think they Alliance is talking behind my back Ollie."

"I might have some information on that. Our man up there is telling me that they somehow found out that a reporter here in San Francisco might have something on them. On the Alliance. They think she knows their name."

"You're not talking about that crime journalist form "SF Reporter" that you've been following, are you?" Marshall asked.

"Piper Halliwell. She's the one. She's a small fish, but they found out about her, and Karenov and the rest are not very excited."

"How the fuck did they found out? I thought you were taking care of it." Marshall demanded.

"I sent my best man for the job, Wyatt, but he screwed up. I don't think they found out from him though, there is no way he knows we're working with the Alliance. I think it could have been our camera man." Ochsner concluded.

"I want him dead. And I want you to bring in Halliwell."

"That would be a risky move, Sir."

"Yes, it would. But not as risky as it will be if she writes anything about the Alliance in the paper. Then we'll all have our heads in the platter. I want you to bring in Halliwell, find out from her if anyone else knows about the Alliance, then get rid of her. We'll deal with the press later." Marshall spoke slowly, but his orders were clear.

"What will we say to them though? It's a known fact that she's writing something big about you. People are waiting for this article to come out. You'll be right in the middle of the spotlight, Sir."

"And it's your job to figure something out, Ollie. So don't fail me. You hear me Ollie?"

"Yes, Sir." Ochsner frowned, but knew it was the end of that conversation. He had a lot of work to do.

"I want a report tomorrow morning on how things are moving along. And make sure the Alliance gets the word that Halliwell is out of the way and not a threat anymore. I don't want them to have even more reasons why to kill me. Understood?"

"Always, sir. Goodnight."

And that was the end of it.

* * *

Leo was finishing up a report to his supervisors on the latest case he was working on. It was well after midnight, and the crazy hours at work were killing him. What more, he had his mind wrapped around Piper.

The phone call was a real stab in the heart, even though he tried to play it cool.

He liked her, he liked her a lot.

He was finally finishing, and was waiting as the papers were coming out of the printer. When the 12 page report was on paper, he put it all in a folder, and headed upstairs to leave it on his boss's desk.

He took the elevator to the 7th floor. The building was empty.

He strolled down slowly down the hall, when some voices caught his attention. He wasn't going to stop, but then he recognized on of them. It was Ochsner.

He got closer, until he was close enough to hear the conversation without getting seen.

"Marshall is stressed out, so I need your best men for the job. Do it on the street, or in the parking lot. Make it look like a robbery, or a rape, even murder. When the cops come, make sure it doesn't look like a professional job. Leave a few fake evidence." Ochsner was saying.

"Don't underestimate me, Ochsner. When was I ever known to disappoint you?"

"Never, Miller, never. And I trust you won't disappoint you this time either. You talked with my guy, so you know all the small details. She goes to work at 7 am, wakes up at 6. Do it before she has a chance to get to her office. I know you have your ways, but I suggest you do it at the parking lot of the building. It's a big, dark parking lot. There is no better place to it."

"That is probably what we'll do. Don't sweat it Ochsner. I just wish you gave us a better notice on this." The guy named 'Miller' said. Leo has never seen him before.

"I know, Miller. But I myself was just given the order from Marshall this afternoon. Alright, you're all set. Here is her picture, she's easy to recognize. Very nice ass."

Miller smiled.

And that was when Leo saw it. The picture was turned just right so Leo had a clear sight of it.

He couldn't believe his eyes.

It was Piper.

Suddenly alarmed, he quietly continued down the hallway, and disappeared into the first door he could find.

He needed a moment to take it in.

Marshall has ordered an assassination of Piper Halliwell. Actually, he couldn't be sure he wanted to kill her, but he knew they were planning on a kidnapping.

Leo knew right away that both Marshall and Ochsner are at wrong. He'd have known about it if Piper was really dangerous enough to eliminate. But he was told that they were getting off her case.

He had to do something.

He took the stairs down to his office, grabbed his keys, and ran to the parking lot.

He had to figure out a way to contact Piper without directly calling her or coming to her house. She was most likely behind watched and her phones were wired for sure.

He stopped at a phone booth and looked through the hello pages. Then he found it. "Prudence Halliwell" It was her sister. He gave Piper a ride to her home the other day. He dialed the number on his cell phone and waited.

No one answered.

It was 1 am, so he decided to try again.

On the third call a groggy voice answered. It was a male.

"…Yes?"

"Yes, hello. I am Special Agent Wyatt with the FBI; may I speak to Prudence Halliwell?"

The voice answered reluctantly. "FBI? What do you want with Prue? I'm with the police, maybe I can help you…"

"No, I'm sorry, I need to speak specifically to her. It's about her sister, Piper."

There was a silence. "Is she ok?"

"I'm trying to make sure that she will be." Leo answered, honestly.

"Alright, hold on."

After about half a minute he heard a woman's voice.

"Hello? This is Prue."

"Mrs. Halliwell, I'm sorry to call at this hour, but this is important."

"My husband said it's about Piper… You're Leo, right?"

"Yes."

"Is she in some kind of trouble?"

"Her life may be in danger, and I can't contact her, because I think her calls are being traced."

"Oh god. What can I do?"

"I need you to call her, and as her to come over. Don't tell her why, because it's most likely someone will be listening. You've got to get her to come over. I need to meet her, and it needs to be done very soon. We haven't got much time."

"Ok. I can do that. Are you coming here?" Prue asked.

"Yes, I'll be there in about twenty minutes. I'm sorry about this."

"Don't be… I just hope that you know what you're doing."

* * *

The phone was ringing.

Piper opened her eyes and looked at the time. It was past 1 am… who could it be?

She assumed it must be someone from work, and she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Piper… it's Prue."

Piper opened her eyes wider and sat up.

"Prue? Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Well… No. I need to you come over."

"Now?"

"Yes. Right now."

"Prue, you're scaring me…"

"I really need you to come, Piper. Please. It's important."

"Alright. I'm on my way."

**AN: And… I'm gonna cut it right there. Just so you guys have something to look forward to. Please review, I want to see how many people are still reading this… thanks guys!**


	7. No Turning Back now

**AN: Thank you guys sooo much for all your wonderful reviews! I was surprised to see so many of them, but I'm defiantly not complaining. Please continue to review, Thanks again!**

**No Turning Back Now**

**_Chapter VII_**

Piper pulled on some jeans and a sweatshirt, grabbed her keys and cell and was out of her apartment in less then a minute.

Prue's call was alarming. She had never before called her in the middle of the night, asking her to come over.

She got into the car and was speeding at least fifteen miles above speed limit the whole way.

Her mind was racing. She knew better then to jump into conclusions, but she couldn't help it. The first thing that came to mind was her niece, Melissa, or Andy… maybe they were hurt. Or worse. Or maybe it was Phoebe.

But Prue asked her to come to her house, not to the hospital or anything like that, so maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought.

Her mind was blank the rest of the way, and she was in Prue's garage in less then ten minutes. As she was getting out, she noticed another car, and immediately recognized it as Leo's.

The door opened in front of her even before she went all the way up the stairs, and a worried looking Prue was awaiting her at the door.

"What's going on?" Piper asked in a hurry.

Prue didn't answer. She took Piper by her hand, pulled her inside, then looked around outside before shutting the door and locking it.

"Come, Piper, there is someone who wants to talk to you."

Before Piper had a chance to ask anything she was led into the living room, where she saw Andy sitting on a couch, and no other but Special Agent Leo Wyatt, sitting directly in front of him.

"Wha… What is this?" Piper asked, utterly confused.

Both men immediately got up to their feet. Andy waked straight to Prue, and Leo was just left standing. He looked uneasy. Uncomfortable.

Prue finally spoke.

"Piper, honey, I'm sorry to scare you like this. If what he's saying is true… well, we'll give you some space." Prue nodded her head, almost as if saying 'it's ok, don't worry', and both she and Andy walked away to the kitchen.

"You should probably sit down. This might take a little while." Leo spoke slowly, in a deep voice.

Piper didn't say anything. She walked into the living room and took the spot where Andy was sitting at earlier.

Leo sat down when she did. Then he started speaking.

"This is difficult… I haven't had the proper time to think this over, but unfortunately we're all out of time."

"Leo, I don't understand, this is…" Piper started, getting desperate for answers and sick of feeling like there is something huge she is no aware of.

"Piper, do you remember, I told you my boss decided to drop your case? Let you write the article about Marshall?" Leo asked, and Piper nodded. He continued. "Just over an hour ago, I was at my office, and I overheard something when I passed my boss's office. His name is Oliver Ochsner; I've known him ever since I started working there seven years ago. He was talking to a man, and they were planning an assassination or a kidnapping for tomorrow morning. And you are the target."

Piper sat, starting at him for a few seconds. She wasn't quite taking it in. He went on.

"Piper, there is something serious going on. Marshall himself ordered this. Up until an hour ago, I was sure of Marshall's innocence. But I'm not so sure anymore. Piper, this is not something the FBI does, it opposes our protocol. It's completely against everything we stand for… I think there is a lot more to this."

Piper was feeling numb. It seemed so surreal.

"Leo, I don't understand. I just don't…"

"Piper, I need you to think. I doubt that they are planning on eliminating every single reporter who is writing about Marshall. There must be something… something you found out that they don't want the public to know. Think hard, it could be something small… but big enough for them to get so scared that they are willing to go this far."

Piper knew right away. It had to be it.

"The Alliance of Seven."

Leo looked shocked when he heard this.

"How the hell… How the hell do you know about them?"

"I have my ways. I'm good at what I do. But that doesn't matter. Leo, I don't know much about them, because there are no records anywhere. But I was suspecting that Marshall might be working with them. I was investigating…"

Leo got up and started walking around the couch.

"God… Piper, this is very bad… Very bad…"

"Leo, I need to know more about them. I am now completely sure there is a connection…"

"Piper, you don't understand!" Leo was not calm anymore. "If all of this is really connected to the Alliance… you just have no idea how huge it is. This is the most dangerous organization in the world right now… And I'm not talking just the U.S. I'm talking Europe, Asia, and Middle East…" Leo was holding his head now, almost in disbelief.

Piper got up to her feet, getting very nervous now.

"Leo, you are scaring me…"

"And you should be scared! You should be fucking peeing your pants right now!" He was shouting.

This was when Prue and Andy came back into the room.

"What the hell is going on! My daughter is sleeping, and I prefer you don't wake her up." Prue raged at Leo.

Leo didn't seem to hear. He walked up to Piper, and looked her straight in the eye.

"Piper, you don't even realize how big this is. If Marshall… If AD George Marshall is in anyway connected to the Alliance of Seven, which I might add is an organization only very few selected people in the FBI and the United States Government know about… If Marshall is working with them… this is huge… it's absurd."

And everyone was silent. Piper was still in shock.

She needed to sit down.

She slowly lowered herself back to the couch, and stared at the floor in front of her, her mind racing with thoughts. Leo went on.

"But it's the only explanation. Why else would they want to make you disappear?"

Piper considered for a second that she was probably dreaming… none of the things that happened since she woke up made any sense. But it wasn't a dream at all.

"We need to get you away." Leo finally concluded.

Everyone looked at him.

"Away, where?" Prue asked.

"Let me think for a moment." He said.

Prue looked at Piper, her eyes asking a million questions, and Piper just shook her head. She didn't have any answers.

"I have a house up north… it's a very small town, hardly anyone lives there. People just own houses there and come to stay there in the summer. It's pretty much empty right now. Three hours away from here. You'll have to go there." Leo explained.

"Wait, wait a minute… I can't just drop everything and go… this is crazy, we need to do something. And I have a ton of work…"

"Piper, listen to me. If you show up tomorrow at your work place, you are dead. If you go home, you are dead. In fact, if you are seen anywhere by these men, and believe me, they'll be watching… you're dead."

This wasn't helping.

She was speechless.

"Now, I can help. I can try and get you to a safe place until we figure out what to do next. But first, you need to disappear. Change your clothes, wear big sunglasses, and a baseball hat. Wear big clothes. We'll set off in an hour, so make all the phone calls you need, from your sister's phone, but don't call anyone from work. They probably have excess to those calls."

Prue came up to Piper and sat next to her.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" She asked. Piper knew that Prue didn't know what was going on, but she didn't push her.

Piper looked at Leo, wanting him to answer Prue's question.

"I'm sorry. But we really can't be too safe."

"Can't you just go to the police with this?" Andy asked.

"AD Marshall pretty much controls the FBI. We won't know who to trust. And we have no evidence." Leo explained.

Piper got up. "Alright. I'll do this. How do I get there?"

"We'll rent a car. I'll pay, you can't use your credit card, they can track you that way. The drive up there takes 3 hours, but I want you to make a lot of stops to make sure no one is following. I can only assume that Marshall wouldn't hire some rookies, he probably has his best men on the job. I'll give you a key, and there is a phone in the house you can use. But again, don't contact anyone outside of this circle." Leo was explaining the steps.

"Wait, wait a minute… you want her to go alone? Isn't that dangerous?" Prue asked.

"When they realized she's gone, they'll probably check up on everyone she's made contact with for the past month at least, and that means you guys and me. Like I said, we can't be too safe."

"Prue, it's ok, I'll be alright. And Leo needs to stay here so he can sniff around and find out what is going on exactly." Piper told Prue, but in reality she was telling it to herself.

And so, she did as he said. She packed very few clothes and borrowed some cash from Prue. She called no one.

A few times, she stopped, asking herself if she was making the right decision to trust Leo. But she just had too much at stake. Her life might be dependant on it.

She parted with Prue and Andy, and asked to let Phoebe know. She promised to call as soon as she got there.

They left in Leo's car, leaving Piper's inside Prue's garage where it can't be seen. They got a rental car at the airport, and Leo gave her directions.

"Remember; keep checking that you're not followed." He looked around as he said it. "Here is a map. Don't use your call before you get there unless it's a real emergency and only through a pay phone".

She nodded, understanding.

"And here, take this." He took out his gun and handed it to her.

"No, Leo, I can't…"

"You have to." He said shortly. "We don't know exactly who we're involved with, so you should be ready for any kind of situation. You know how to use it?" He asked.

"I have a pretty good idea."

"Good. Well, good luck. I'll let you know as soon as it's safe to come back. And I'll call you at least twice a day."

"How long is this going to take?" She asked.

"Honestly… I really don't know. It could take a few days, if it's just Marshall we're dealing with. But if he is indeed associated with the Alliance… Then it could be months before we know who to trust." He was honest.

Piper nodded. She wasn't quite ready to take it all in. she needed time to think everything over.

After an odd moment, Leo put his hand on her shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Be careful Piper, alright? Don't pursue anything on your own." He said, loosing his FBI Agent tone and turning on the voice he used when they were out on a date.

"Thank you for saving my life." She said, attempting a smile.

"Don't thank me just yet." He said, leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek, and then got into his car.

Piper watched him drive away, then looked down at the key in her hand. She inserted it into the renal car and sad down in it. She sat there for ten minutes, trying to sort out her thoughts. Finally, the guy who worked there came up to her and knocked on her window. She mouthed 'sorry', and started the engine.

There was no turning back now.


	8. Refuge

**Refuge**

**_Chapter VIII_**

He was exhausted.

When he got home the previous night it was past 3 am, and when his alarm clock went off it was 6.

He had to get to work on time and act normal. No one at work should know that he is in any way involved. Especially not his boss, Ochsner. He'd go to work like it's just any other day, and drag no attention to himself. Stay low. And listen.

Leo needed facts. He needed to find out exactly what his bosses were doing and why. And he had to find out if indeed Marshall was in dirty business with the Alliance of Seven. And if he was, then Leo needed to find proof. Good solid proof.

He would act like everything is normal, while snooping between offices and files until he finds out exactly what is going on deep in the headquarters of the FBI.

* * *

With her right hand resting on the wheel, Piper raised her left one to itch her tired eye.

She has been on the road for quite a while, and she was tired of driving. The sun had come up over an hour ago, as if it was purposely reminding her that she barely got two hours of sleep the previous night.

She made a lot of stops on the way- just as Leo had instructed. There were barely any cars on the road, but she was paranoid.

There was a small town that she passed through, and she parked her car by local pub and went inside.

It was almost completely empty, take away about three middle aged looking guys, and two young girls who worked at the place.

Piper took a seat at one of the tables close to the window. She could see her car from there and the passing cars on the road she was taking.

"Would you like to order anything Ma'am?" One of the girls came up to Piper, an annoyed look on her face.

Piper would be pretty annoyed too if she had to work at that pub. Wasn't the friendliest looking environment.

"Just water, please."

The girl turned to walk away, but then Piper changed her mind and called after her.

"Actually, can I have a beer too?"

Piper left there about a quarter of an hour later, and got back on the road.

It was past 10 am when she finally reached her destination.

The house that Leo directed her to was surrounded by tall trees and a pretty dense Californian forest. Aside from a farm she passed about half a mile away, there were no other households for as least three miles, and those were scattered miles apart too.

She parked the car and got the single bag with a few things Prue gave her that she took along with her.

Leo said there should be towels and things as such inside, and if she needed anything there was a small town about seven miles away that had a supermarket where she could get food and any other needed accessories.

She used the key he gave her to unlock the front door, and stepped inside.

Looking around, the house seemed pretty empty. It was very big, and had little furniture. Both the floor and walls were all made of dark wood, almost maroon. There were big carpets on the floor, but they seemed small and covered little of all the empty space.

She put her bag down and started walking around.

There were two floors and a basement. On the upstairs, there were three small relatively small bedroom, and one master room. They were all equipped with beds and whatnot.

From the window upstairs she could see far into the distance, and spotted the town that Leo talked about, and could see the main road leading into it, the one she took to get there. She could see all cars coming in and out.

This gave her a bit of comfort, and she headed downstairs.

She was tired and hungry, but the half a bagel left from earlier in one of her stops didn't look very attractive, and she was too paranoid to sleep.

She turned on the small TV in the living room –the only one in the house- and found the news.

Piper wasn't sure what she was expecting to see. She couldn't help but feeling that the whole world was out to get her.

But the news were normal, and she should have expected.

She shut the TV off and found a phone bye the main entrance.

First, she called Leo.

"Wyatt speaking." His voice came.

For some reason, it was of comfort to her.

"It's me." She said.

"Thank god. Are you alright? Did you get there ok?"

"Yes. I stopped anywhere I could. From what I can tell, I don't think I was followed."

"Good. That's great. Now just get some rest and try to relax. There is nothing you can do from over there, so just try your best to stay patient."

"That's a lot to ask." She admitted.

"I know. I'm sorry." He sounded honest.

"So, anything on your end? You're at work, right?"

"Yes. I haven't been able to do much so far. Just been acting like a good Agent, digging my nose into work. Trying to stay unnoticed. Though, I noticed my boss, Ochsner. He looks anxious. He passed by me in the hall and didn't even notice me. He had two guys tailing behind him, and he was talking fast on his cell. I didn't hear anything though. I'm pretty sure they noticed you are gone by now, considering that you should have been dead at 8 am this morning." He said.

"Thanks for that." She said sarcastically.

"Sorry. Listen, I have to go. I'll keep you in touch. Get some sleep. I'll call you around midnight tonight. Try to use the phone as little as possible. Just to be on the safe side."

"Yes sir."

"Talk to you soon. Bye."

Click.

Piper put down the phone and went to seat on a big light brown couch nearby.

She remembered for a moment the night she spent at his place just a little while ago. And she remembered the cold note she left him with in the morning.

She made it a one night stand, and she felt bad about it now. He was truly looking out for her, and she was grateful. If it were her in his place, she'd have probably been too bitter with him to help. But here he was, saving her ass, and putting all his energy into it.

Her eyes were shutting, and she decided to relocate to a more comfortable place to sleep. She grabbed her bag and headed up the stairs.

She needed a shower, but she was too tired to take one.

She stripped her cloths, leaving them on the floor like a trail, and put on some shirt she dug out of her bag. Then she fell face down on the bed in the master room and got under the covers.

They were chilly, and she was shivering for about a minute, until her body warmed up the bed and she relaxed.

As soon as she closed her eyes, the paranoia came back.

She was stuck in a horrifying situation, and she was lost and didn't know how to help herself. She felt miserable and helpless, and she wanted to cry.

But instead, she just slept. For long, dreamless hours, she slept.

* * *

Back over in San Francisco in the FBI headquarters was Leo, sitting unrestfully in his office.

By then, there was defiantly no doubt that something was going on up on the higher levels where the Directors and Assistant directors were.

Leo went up once, to Ochsner office, as if updating him on some case, but the secretary wouldn't even let him in. She said he was in an emergency meeting. Leo asked what was it about, but the secretary said she doesn't know. She did let out that all of Marshall's guys, and even AD George Marshall himself were in there.

This was greatly unusual. A man like Marshall never went to other agents' offices for urgent meetings. He would call meetings in his private meeting room, and he would do it on his special terms.

During lunch, Leo was able to overhear conversations from other agents, who were wondering what has gone down that only the big guys were aware of. There were different theories, but no one seemed to suspect that something dirty was going on.

That was the thing. Everyone in the FBI were patriots. The whole Marshall ordeal seemed absurd to everyone.

Leo could say the same thing about himself just 24 hours ago. Everything was different now.

It was very possible that only Leo, aside from the real criminals, knew why everyone was worried. It was Piper, and how she disappeared. They must be pissed, Leo thought. They probably figured that she was an easy one to get rid off. But now she's gone, and they're sweating. Leo had a good feeling that if they were indeed working for the Alliance of Seven, then they had some very dangerous men to answer to, and they were probably all worried for their necks.

Leo eventually decided that he couldn't start a search just yet. With all this mess, everyone was on high alert, and he couldn't afford to be seen doing something suspicious.

He needed to somehow find out exactly how far Marshall's crimes extended, and then find incriminating files or any kind of reliable evidence which he could use against him.

He was well aware that it could take years. But he needed it to happen faster. Much faster.

It scared him that he's been working under these men for his seven years in the FBI.

Leo leaned back in his office chair. He was tired. And his head hurt. He thought of Agent Ochsner, and he thought of the case he was supposed to be working on but couldn't concentrate, and finally, he thought of Piper Halliwell.

She sounded tired when he talked to her earlier. She was placed in a very sticky situation.

Leo suddenly raised this image in his mind. She was probably sleeping now. Probably on the couch on the living room, or the master bedroom. He figured she was upstairs, because you could see the highway from there.

He looked at his time, and it was 4 pm. She'd probably wake up soon. Or not. She might sleep longer.

He wished he'd known her better. With everything that happened in the past 24 hours, it seemed like ages ago that she was in his bed, underneath him, after a very satisfying and enjoyable sex encounter. And then she gave him the cold shoulder, and left him with nothing but a lame note.

When everything would clear up, -whenever that would be-, he would have to remember to be bitter with her about it.

But till then… There was more then enough work to be done.

* * *

She woke up from a dream. As soon as she opened her eyes, she had no recollection of what that dream was, but she felt in high alert.

Opening her eyes, she sat up quickly, surprised by her surroundings. It was dark, she could hardly see anything. But the moon shone through the window, giving her a general understanding that this was by no means her own room.

It took her a moment longer to realize that she indeed wasn't home at San Francisco. Bits by bits, the events of the previous day came rushing through, and she finally remembered everything.

Sighing, she looked for the edge of the bed, and got up. There must have been a light switch somewhere, so she touched the walls for about a minute until her fingertips felt it, and the light came on.

She looked down at her watch, and it was 6:42 pm. She had slept for about eight hours.

Piper made her way downstairs, found the light there, and took a seat in the only chair that was in the kitchen corner.

It was a very big house, and she felt very much lonely.

She took a moment to imagine her boss's, Owls, reaction when she didn't show up at work that morning, and wouldn't show up the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that. He was probably having a fit.

Piper finally decided on calling Prue.

She used the house phone, and after two rings Prue's voice came through.

"Hello?"

"Prue. It's me."

"Piper! Good god, I was terrified. How are you?" Prue sounded very anxious. Her voice mirrored Piper's feelings quite well.

"Under the circumstances… alright I guess. Sorry I didn't call earlier, just woke up."

"I'm just glad to hear your voice. We're all very worried." Prue said.

"I know. I wish I didn't have to burden you guys with this shit. Prue, I know I'm paranoid, but I want to say this anyway. Please, be careful. If anyone suspicious comes to ask you questions, even if it is a cop, tell them you know nothing. You have no idea where did I disappear. No clue. And ask Andy not to get involved, even the some guys at the station get the case. Please."

"Of course. We won't do anything unless you or Leo say so. You can have my word."

"Thank you. Send Phoebe my love. I'll call you guys tomorrow around this time. And don't worry too much. I'm in the middle of no where, there is no way I'll be found out here."

"Just be careful… I know you probably have a good idea of what you're doing… but just, watch your step."

"Thanks Prue. Goodnight."

"I love you."

Piper put the phone down and got up.

She was hungry. Very hungry. She decided to take a drive to the local center, take a look around. If anything went wrong, she needed to be prepared to find another place to hide.

As she was getting in her car, she made a decision.

She knew that Leo told her to sit ducks and wait for his mark, but she wouldn't be able to sit around doing nothing.

Even out here, in the middle of nowhere, she'd be able to do something. She had some connections, and she had a lot of time on her hands. She would just try to find out as much as possible about every little detail, so that if, and when everything goes down, she wouldn't fall with empty hands.

**AN: Sorry for the delay guys. I've written this chapter in chunks, but I think it came together alright. Wasn't too much action, but I think it was needed. Review please and make my day!**


	9. Loneliest Night of Her Life

**Loneliest Night of Her Life**

**_Chapter IX_**

The next few days Piper had adopted a routine. She would wake up at 6, bright and early, and go into town. She'd get a small breakfast and then head to the local library.

She spent hours sitting there and going through old newspapers. She was trying to track what the Alliance has been up to for the past 20 years. She knew that the newspaper wasn't even half enough, but she was doing all that she could.

She was building a case. Journalist and lawyers are not that different really when it came to digging for info. She also made some phone calls to people she knew, contacts she would talk to, sometimes anonymously on their side. They didn't know much, but they promised to find her what they could. The last phone call she made was to Daryl, a cop back in San Francisco who worked close to Andy. She would have called Andy, but she didn't want her sister anymore involved that she already was.

She made the phone calls from her house, never using a cell phone or anything she could be tracked by. She'd spend her afternoon in the house, continuing her research and wrecking her brain, looking for something to frame Marshall with.

At 9 pm, she would head to the local bar, where she'd spend hours sitting by herself, or talking with nice strangers. She liked them. They didn't ask her where she came from or where she was going. They just talked, and drank.

* * *

It was on the 6th day, when the phone rang at 6:15 am.

Leo always called late and night, and Piper was always the one to phone her sisters.

So, a little paranoid, Piper picked up the phone.

"Piper, it's me." Leo.

"Oh, hey. You gave me a scare. Everything ok?"

"Piper, listen, I don't want you to freak out…" As soon as he said that, Piper's heart started racing.

"Leo…"

"There has been an incident at your work. Someone went trough your things in your office sometime during the night, and they took your laptop and trashed the whole place. Piper, you left your laptop at work?"

Piper took a moment to think. Yes, she did. But he wasn't asking, it was more of a 'I can't believe you did something so stupid' kind of a tone.

"Yes. Fuck. It's ok, I have a password."

"A password? Jesus, Piper, they don't do passwords… They have people who will get around it in less then a minute." He continued. "What was on there? Marshall related, I mean."

"There wasn't much, really… but I kept my research on there. Most of the things I had on paper, and I took those with me." Piper said, a bit relieved herself.

He took a moment before speaking.

"Good. It's not that bad then."

"And my office? How bad is it?" Piper asked.

"Piper… it's a mess. The whole floor. I was able to sneak in there with the rest of the officers and get by without showing I'm FBI. They took the place upside down. The thing is, the only things that are missing are form your office, and your boss… what's his name? Owl something… anyway, he's mad. But concerned, too."

Piper let out a sigh. In the past few days she managed not to think about what all the people back home thought of her disappearance. Aside from her sisters, no body knew. And now this… she can only imagine Owls' face when he walked into the place this morning.

"You there?" Leo's voice came through.

"Yeah. I don't know what to say."

"It's ok. Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. How are you hanging on there? What do you do all day?"

"Nothing. Went to a couple of bars around town. There really isn't very much to do here. Leo, how long is it going to be?"

"You mean, how long before stop trying to track you down? I don't know. And I'm sorry to make the situation even worse, but I'm really at a loss. I don't know what to do… I try to eavesdrop, but it's hard to do without getting notice. And I'm afraid to tell anyone, because I don't know who to trust… I don't want to tell the wrong ears. It will only make matters worse. Right now I'm trying to find out where they meet. I don't believe that everything they do goes down here in the FBI Headquarters. It's not safe enough. There's got to be other places." Leo said.

"And what will you do when you find those places?"

"That's a fucking good question. I'll let you know when I figure out an answer." He said with defeat.

"Piper, I have to go, I have a meeting with Ochsner. Maybe I'll find something new. If not, I'll call you tomorrow, same time as usual. Sorry to alert you."

"It's alright. Thanks Leo."

When she put down the phone she went to the kitchen and sad down. She was planning to go get some breakfast, but her appetite was gone to hell.

* * *

The phone rang again at 8 pm that evening.

Piper had been half asleep on the couch with some copies of newspaper articles from 1989 that she took from the library earlier that afternoon.

She answered the phone with a groggy voice. It was Leo again.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Piper, we have a situation."

She could hear a lot of other voices in the background. One of them was from a crying child.

"Who is that? What happened?"

"Someone came to your sister's home." Leo said, and the words rang in Piper's head like gun shots.

She san up abruptly and immediately recognize the crying voice. It was Melissa, Prue's daughter.

"Oh my god…" She could already feel hot tears blinding her vision.

"Don't worry, they are ok, all of them. Prue said that she opened the door to two men and they held out a gun… asked her questions about your whereabouts. Luckily your brother in law came from work just then and he had his gun. They fired one warning shot and left. No one is hurt."

They tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Piper, they left seven pennies. It's their official mark."

"The Alliance of Seven." Piper mumbled through tears.

"I'm so sorry…"

"Can I talk to Prue?" Piper asked.

Prue was on the phone seconds later.

"Prue… I'm so sorry… I… This is crazy, I'm coming back home, I can't believe it got this far…" She couldn't stand it. And she could still hear her niece crying, and it was tearing her heart apart.

"No, Piper, you can't do that. They will kill you… they're capable." Prue said. She sounded shaken, but her voice was as set as ever.

"There is no way. I won't let you or anyone else go through this because of me. I'm coming back."

"Piper, we're ok… I promise. Leo says this is exactly what they want, and I won't let them have you… Stop blaming yourself."

The words coming from her sister calmed Piper a bit. It was then that she realized that she'd been sitting with her knees on the floor.

"How's Melissa?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"She's alright… just a little scared. She saw everything."

Piper tried hard not to break down crying in front of her sister too, because she had to be strong for her, not the other way around. But she couldn't stop herself. She was letting out all the frustration she'd been holding in all these long days.

"Prue, what are you going to do… They will come back…"

"Leo offered to put both us and Phoebe in protective custody, but I didn't want that. We settled for three men guarding us at all time. Following us around…"

"And you're ok with that?" Piper asked.

"Look, Piper, we're sisters, and we're all there for each other at one time or the other. When I had Melissa, and through all of Phoebe's breakups, and… when Danny left you. And we'll be here for you through this too."

"Prue, this is SO different…"

"Not another word Piper. You just take care of yourself. I'm gonna put Leo back on… call us."

"Say hi to Phoebe."

Leo came on a few seconds later.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"You ok?"

"I think so. What Prue said, about the guys who'll be sticking around them…"

"Yes, Piper, don't worry. We've arranged for a bunch of guys to watch over them 24/7."

Piper sighed. "Leo, I don't know how much longer I can go on here. Putting my family in danger… I can't even describe how horrible this is for me."

"I know, Piper, and I wish things were different. I'm sorry…"

"No, you shouldn't be sorry. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead about a week ago. I'm very thankful."

Piper didn't go out that night. After she finished on the phone, she grabbed a blanket and huddled on the couch, with an old movie playing in the background on T.V.

She's never felt so lonely. She gave up on trying to wipe her tears, and just let them flow freely.

It must have been hours before she fell asleep that night. The loneliest night of her life.


End file.
